Late Colonel's wife asked to prove husband's death for son's admission in DU

Delhi University admission fever is on! Students across the country are making efforts to get admission in the reputed university. When former DU student Anjali Sirohi’s brother and son of Late Lt. Col Ravinder Kumar went to get admission in the Delhi University, he clearly could not comprehend that the experience was going to be a rather horrific one. Their father passed away while on military service during peacetime and Anjali’s brother who did not wish to be named was supposed to take admission under the children of War Widows (CW) category.

It was recently reported that the university had increased reservation under this category from 3% to 5% this year and the students under this category will be admitted through counselling which took place at the DU conference hall. However, in what came as a huge shock to the family, Late Lt. Col Ravinder Kumar’s wife was asked to prove her husband’s death if she wanted her son to get admission under the CW category despite her furnishing the required death certificate.

Describing the shocking experience, Anjali took to Facebook to share the incident.

“My father died on July 09, 2009 while on military service during peacetime. He left behind- me, my mother and two younger siblings with a death certificate that would ensure some benefits to my mother because of his service to the nation. A service where we got to live for only THREE YEARS of our lives with him,” she said in a Facebook post.

“My brother was supposed to take admission in the University of Delhi under the children of War Widows (CW) category that places us in priority 3- Wards/widows of Defence personnel who died while in service with death attributable to military service. The officer asked my mother to prove to him on her papers the point, ‘with death attributable to military service.’ The person verifying the documents was from KSB (Kendriya Sainik Board),” she added.

The Delhi University authorities apparently found discrepancies in the certificate and they allegedly needed the proof “with death attributable to military service,” which was mentioned in some of the documents but absent in some. She went on to add that the lack of apathy was shown by an authority who himself was allegedly an ex-army personnel.

“DU called a person from KSB who found ‘apparent’ problems with our certificate. But there was no such problem. We don’t choose our priority it is given to us based on our pension order and our ‘pension order’ is the special family pension that indicates PRIORITY 3. So indirectly, we need to have the words written to prove to them that our father actually died ‘with death attributable to military service.’ Firstly, it is their fault because these words were present on some certificates and not- on some. So no consistency in record maintenance and then the KSB personnel is an ex-army personnel and yet he failed to understand this simple fact.” Anjali told InUth.

The documents that they produced during the verification included the Special Family Income certificate and the death certificate of her late father. Anjali has alleged that authorities mentally harassed and humiliated her mother in the conference hall.

‘It was humiliation towards my mother because firstly they asked her to prove her husband’s death conditions. Then she had to run here and there for the certificates. I mean IMAGINE. We have to prove conditions of death even after 8 odd years since it happened’, Anjali added.

Through the Facebook post, Anjali is trying to draw public attention towards the loopholes in the system and how the people from influent family go on to take advantage of these loopholes while the deserving one is left behind. She has also reached out to the PMO in connection with the issue.

‘I have written letters to the Army Veterans Cell, our Grievance cell and even PMO’s website but nobody responded’, Anjali said. Her mother has managed to got new certificate which will be verified today.

We tried to contact Delhi University and KSB to verify the same but could not get an adequate response.